“I appreciate what you did, but you don’t want this.” She puckered her lips, and her cheeks hollowed. “You hate this place. You hate everything the Vargas Cartel stands for.”
I squeezed her knee. “You’re right. I do, but it was the only thing I had to offer Ignacio.”
“So what now?”
“I need you to leave. I don’t want Ignacio or anyone else to use you as leverage against me. When this is over, I’ll find you.” I curled my hands into the hem of her dress, struggling to calm my racing heart. The thought of either Ignacio or that piece shit Juan Alvarez getting near Hattie or threatening her made me crazy.
Her head shook back and forth and strands of her brown whipped in front of her face. “No. Absolutely not. It’s not happening. Don’t even try to force to me leave. You’ve already done that once.”
“Why not?” I grumbled.
Her entire body tensed. “I won’t be any safer there than I would be with you. In fact, I think I’ll be in more danger. I’ll be a sitting target for any of your enemies and the Deverons.”
I rested my head on her knees for a minute gathering my thoughts. She was right. We had so many enemies.
Ignacio.
Juan Alvarez.
Senator Deveron.
Evan Deveron.
Emanuel.
And those were just the ones I knew about. As more people got wind of my connection to the Vargas Cartel, I’d have enough enemies to fill a ballroom.
“I think you need to deal with Senator Deveron and Evan and I’ll find a way to make sense of Ignacio and Juan Alvarez.”
“What do you mean deal with Senator Deveron and Evan?”
I sat on the bench next to her. “We need to expose their connection to the cartel. Then, they’ll be discredited or worse. Senator Deveron won’t have any power to hurt you anymore, and you won’t have to worry about Evan.”
“And how are we going to do that?”
He rubbed his lips together. “You’ll leak information and evidence corroborating the connection to any newspaper or website that will listen.” I’d have to search Ignacio’s office, which wouldn’t be easy, but I’d find a way to do it without alerting him. I needed at least a week to put the rest of my plan in motion before Ignacio discovered my deception.
Hattie didn’t move or speak for a few drawn out seconds. “And you want me to go back to D.C. to do it.”
My chest tightened. I didn’t want her to go anywhere. I wanted to chain her to my side forever, and never let go. “Yes. I think it’s the smartest way to get this done,” I said instead.
She closed her eyes and bowed her head, even as her hands fidgeted in her lap. “And you won’t come with me?”
“No. I need to stay here and take care of Ignacio and Juan.”
Hattie stilled, and her eyes blinked open, wide and alarmed. “I can’t do it alone.”
“I know. I was planning to send Noah with you,” I said quietly.
The words tasted like ash in my mouth, and something inside of me splintered. I didn’t want Noah anywhere near her. I saw the way he looked at her this morning. He wanted her, but I trusted her, and I hoped to hell it wasn’t misplaced. Either way, she deserved to be happy regardless of who made that happen. My lips twisted in perfect synchronicity with my gut at the thought. I shook my head, trying to eradicate the jealousy from my mind. The jealousy could wait. The rest of this mess wouldn’t.
“Who will help you?”
“Don’t worry about me.” I placed my hand on her lower belly, and she pulled her bottom lip through her front teeth. “Just take care of yourself and our baby, and I’ll find you when this is done.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder, gazing at me. Tears shimmered in her golden eyes. “You promise?” she said quietly, her voice breaking on the last word.
Our gazes held, and I smiled softly, my heart drumming hollowly in my chest. I slid my hands into the silky strands of her hair. “I promise. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
It’d be damn hard to keep my promise. If Ignacio got wind of what I was planning, he’d kill me, but there was no turning back. She’d always be my soft spot. My enemies wouldn’t hesitate to use her to get to me. I had to finish this once and for all. It was the only way I could guarantee Hattie’s and our baby’s safety. I understood that now. I had to eliminate them before they eliminated us.
Kill or be killed.
Destroy or be destroyed.
Attack or be attacked.
It wasn’t even a question. No more waiting. We had to go on the offensive and wage our own war.
Chapter Seventeen
Hattie